Weight challenge awaits Order Of St George
Owner Lloyd Williams has issued a challenge to Melbourne Cup handicapper Greg Carpenter over the weight for Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George.
The Melbourne Cup is close to the heart of Williams who has won the race four times, most recently with Green Moon in 2012.
He would like to bring Thursday’s Royal Ascot winner out for this year’s Cup but fears the four-year-old will receive too much weight.
Williams said Order Of St George would attempt to win a second Irish St Leger in September.
“My plan at this stage with this horse is to run him in the Irish St Leger and if he gets a reasonable weight and runs well in the Irish St Leger to bring him to Melbourne,” Williams told Melbourne radio station RSN.
Williams owns 75 per cent of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Order Of St George and said horses carrying more than 57kg rarely win the Melbourne Cup.
“If he’s absolutely anchored in it there is no point in bringing him all the way,” Williams said.
Williams said the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or Champions race day at Ascot in October could be suitable assignments for Order Of St George if he doesn’t make it to Melbourne.
Melbourne Cup entries close on September 1 with weights out two weeks later.
Williams has a potential spring carnival player making his Australian debut at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
German-bred Almandin contests the Travis Harrison Cup over 1600m and is rated a $9.50 chance.
Almandin hasn’t raced since defeating Melbourne Cup winner Perfectionist at Baden Baden in June 2014.
Williams said the 1600m was too short for Almandin on Saturday.
“If he was running home and finishing in the first four or five coming from the back of the field I’d be pretty happy with him,” Williams said.